Hymenaea rubriflora Ducke stem bark extract has vasorelaxant and contractile inhibition capacity

Abstract We investigated the vasodilatory effects of Hymenaea rubriflora Ducke stem bark extract (HRHAc). Vascular reactivity of the aortic rings of Wistar rats was tested by in vitro cumulative doses (0.1 - 729 µg/mL). Rats (n=5) were treated with 25 (G25), 50 (G50) and 100 (G100) mg/ kg of HR-HAc or saline (control group - CG) for four weeks. An in vitro assay resulted in dose-dependent relaxation of the aortic rings with functional endothelium, which was inhibited in the presence of L-NAME. Rings of the treated animals increased acetylcholine relaxing potency at all doses, with a greater effect on G50 (pD2 = 7.8±0.1, Emax = 95.6±1.1) and a decreased contractile potency to phenylephrine in G25 (pD2 = 6.9±0.06, Emax = 61.5±6.0%) and G50 (pD2= 6.6±0.06, Emax = 71.0±8.5%) when compared to the CG in the presence and absence of endothelium (pD2= 6.4± 0.1, 6.4±0.1 and 6.9±0.1, respectively). Cumulative doses of nitroprusside resulted in increased relaxing potency in all treated groups and maintained Emax at 100%. It is concluded that HR-HAc has vasorelaxant capacity and inhibitory vascular contraction activity applied either directly to aortic rings or after treatment with in vivo supplementation, which places this extract as a potential nutraceutical or pharmacological agent for treating diseases associated with vascular dysfunction.

Application of Electron Microscopes in Nanotoxicity Assessment.

In this chapter, we highlight the applications of electron microscopes (EMs) in nanotoxicity assessment. EMs can provide detailed information about the size and morphology of nanomaterials (NMs), their localization in cells and tissues, the nano-bio interactions, as well as the ultrastructural changes induced by NMs exposure. Here, we share with the readers how we prepare the tissue sample, and the different types of EMs used among the nanotoxicologists. It is possible to deploy conventional EMs along or in combination with other analytical techniques, such as electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS or EDX), and TEM-assisted scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), toward further elemental and chemical characterization. Appropriate images are inserted to illustrate throughout this chapter.

Quantitative Cryo-Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy of Biological Materials.

Electron tomography provides a detailed view into the 3D structure of biological cells and tissues. Physical fixation by vitrification of the aqueous medium provides the most faithful preservation of biological specimens in the native, fully hydrated state. Cryo-microscopy is challenging, however, because of the sensitivity to electron irradiation and due to the weak electron scattering of organic material. Tomography is even more challenging because of the dependence on multiple exposures of the same area. Tomographic imaging is typically performed in wide-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) mode with phase contrast generated by defocus. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is an alternative mode based on detection of scattering from a focused probe beam, without imaging optics following the specimen. While careful configuration of the illumination and detectors is required to generate useful contrast, STEM circumvents the major restrictions of phase contrast TEM to very thin specimens and provides a signal that is more simply interpreted in terms of local composition and density. STEM has gained popularity in recent years for materials science. The extension of STEM to cryomicroscopy and tomography of cells and macromolecules is summarized herein.

Avaliação de protetores solares contendo filtros encapsulados/incorporados em matriz de sílica mesoporosa ordenada do tipo SBA-15 / Evaluation of sunscreens containing encapsulated/entrapped UV filters in ordered mesoporous silica type SBA-15

Filtros orgânicos são amplamente utilizados em formulações fotoprotetoras, com habilidade de absorver radiações ultravioleta (UV). Contudo, parte destes compostos possuem limitações, como: fotoinstabilidade, permeação cutânea e fotossensibilização e entre outros. Este trabalho envolveu a síntese de matriz mesoporosa do tipo SBA-15, encapsulação/incorporação de ρ-metoxicinamato de octila (MCO), benzofenona-3 (BZF-3) e avobenzona (AVO) na SBA-15 para aplicação em formulações fotoprotetoras. Fez-se a determinação da eficácia in vitro dos filtros encapsulados/incorporados combinados a ingrediente cosmético; o preparo de bastão fotoprotetor e determinação eficácia estimada; a avaliação do potencial de irritação ocular dos bastões por HET-CAM - Hen's Egg Test - Chorioallantoic Membrane, e a avaliação da permeação/retenção cutânea e perfil de biodistribuição dos filtros. Para a caracterização dos materiais foram empregadas técnicas físico-químicas e analíticas. As medidas de adsorção/dessorção de N2 mostrou que as amostras dos filtros solares encapsulados/incorporados apresentaram diminuição na área superficial e volume de poro (V), indicando que os filtros solares foram encapsulados/incorporados na superfície e nos poros da SBA-15. Os resultados de Espalhamento de raios X a baixo ângulo evidenciaram que os filtros solares não afetaram a estrutura hexagonal da SBA-15. Por TG/DTG e análise elementar foi possível determinar a quantidade de filtros solares na superfície e nos mesoporos da SBA-15. Enquanto, as curvas DSC e DTA revelaram aumento na estabilidade térmica da AVO e BZF-3, quando encapsulados/incorporados. Os resultados da eficácia fotoprotetora in vitro mostraram que a combinação dos três filtros solares encapsulados/incorporados na SBA-15 promoveram aumento de 52% no fator proteção solar (FPS), enquanto que, na formulação fotoprotetora contendo os três filtros encapsulados/incorporados, o aumento foi de 94%. O ensaio de HET-CAM evidenciou que os bastões contendo SBA-15 e os filtros encapsulados/incorporados não foram irritantes. O ensaio de permeação/retenção cutânea mostrou que o processo de encapsulação/incorporação da BZF-3 promoveu diminuição de sua permeação em todos os tempos de exposição. As quantidades permeadas de AVO e MCO ficaram abaixo do limite de quantificação nos tempos 6 e 12 h, no entanto, no tempo de 24 h foi possível quantificá-los. As quantidades dos filtros solares retidas na pele a partir da formulação contendo os filtros solares encapsulados/incorporados na SBA-15 (F4) foram menores (tempos 6 e 12 h) em comparação à formulação contendo os filtros solares não encapsulados (F3). A investigação da biodistribuição dos filtros solares mostrou que a retenção total na pele, como na derme, foi menor na formulação F4 em comparação à F3. O estudo comparativo entre pele suína e a pele humana mostrou que as quantidades de BZF-3 e AVO permeadas e retidas na pele suína foram superiores do que em relação à humana para ambas as formulações (F4 e FR). Pela técnica de biodistribuição, foi possível determinar que os filtros solares oriundos das formulações F3 e referência (FR) apresentaram maior retenção destes compostos na derme do que em outras camadas da pele. Contudo, observou-se que os filtros encapsulados apresentaram taxa reduzida de retenção na derme

Organic Filters are chemical compounds widely used in sunscreens formulations with the ability to absorb ultraviolet radiation (UV). Despite the effectiveness of these compounds in UV radiation protection, disadvantages related to their photo instability, potential skin permeation and photo sensibility pose significant challenges for improving these products. The aim of this work was to synthesize mesoporous matrix SBA-15, encapsulation/entrapping of octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC), benzophenone-3 (BZF-3) and avobenzone (AVO) into SBA-15 for application in photoprotective formulations. It was accessed in vitro photoprotection efficacy and in vitro photostability assay of encapsulated/entrapped UV filters combined with cosmetic ingredient and photoprotective stick formulations; evaluation of the ocular irritation potential of photoprotective stick formulations by in vitro method HET-CAM - Hen's Egg Test - Chorioallantoic Membrane; evaluation the skin permeation/deposition and biodistribution profile of photoprotective stick formulations. The decrease in the surface area and in mesoporous volume (V) observed in the nitrogen adsorption desorption isotherms of encapsulated/entrapped samples indicated that UV filters were efficiently encapsulated/entrapped into SBA-15. Additionally, SAXS results showed that UV filters did not affected the hexagonal structure of the mesoporous material and that these compounds filled the SBA-15 pores. TG/DTG and elemental analysis were efficient tools to confirm the presence and the quantity of UV filters into SBA-15. DTA and DSC curves of encapsulated/entrapped materials showed that the thermal stability of AVO and BZF-3 were increased. On the other hand, DSC curves of encapsulated/entrapped materials demonstrated that thermal stability of OMC was not increase. The in vitro photoprotective efficacy results demonstrated that the combination of the three sunscreens encapsulated/entrapped into SBA-15 increased 52.0% the SPF values, while the stick formulation containing the UV filters encapsulated/entrapped, the increase was 94.0%. Delivery experiments using porcine skin demonstrated that the encapsulation/entrapping process of UV filters resulted the decreased of BZF-3 permeation and deposition in skin (6 and 12 hours). The cutaneous biodistribution profile of UV filters showed that the deposition of these compounds from encapsulated/entrapped stick formulation (F4) was significantly lower than that from UV filters stick formulations (F3) in the total slices of the skin and dermis. The comparative study between porcine skin and human skin demonstrated that the amounts of BZF-3 and AVO permeated and deposited in porcine skin were higher than in human skin for both formulations (F4 and FR - reference formulation). By the biodistribution technique it was possible to determine that the UV filters from the formulations F3 and FR presented higher retention of these compounds in the dermis than in other layers of the skin. On the other hand, it was observed that the encapsulated UV filters presented low retention rate into dermis

Accurate virus quantitation using a Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) detector in a scanning electron microscope.

A method for accurate quantitation of virus particles has long been sought, but a perfect method still eludes the scientific community. Electron Microscopy (EM) quantitation is a valuable technique because it provides direct morphology information and counts of all viral particles, whether or not they are infectious. In the past, EM negative stain quantitation methods have been cited as inaccurate, non-reproducible, and with detection limits that were too high to be useful. To improve accuracy and reproducibility, we have developed a method termed Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy - Virus Quantitation (STEM-VQ), which simplifies sample preparation and uses a high throughput STEM detector in a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) coupled with commercially available software. In this paper, we demonstrate STEM-VQ with an alphavirus stock preparation to present the method's accuracy and reproducibility, including a comparison of STEM-VQ to viral plaque assay and the ViroCyt Virus Counter.

Reading the primary structure of a protein with 0.07 nm3 resolution using a subnanometre-diameter pore.

The primary structure of a protein consists of a sequence of amino acids and is a key factor in determining how a protein folds and functions. However, conventional methods for sequencing proteins, such as mass spectrometry and Edman degradation, suffer from short reads and lack sensitivity, so alternative approaches are sought. Here, we show that a subnanometre-diameter pore, sputtered through a thin silicon nitride membrane, can be used to detect the primary structure of a denatured protein molecule. When a denatured protein immersed in electrolyte is driven through the pore by an electric field, measurements of a blockade in the current reveal nearly regular fluctuations, the number of which coincides with the number of residues in the protein. Furthermore, the amplitudes of the fluctuations are highly correlated with the volumes that are occluded by quadromers (four residues) in the primary structure. Each fluctuation, therefore, represents a read of a quadromer. Scrutiny of the fluctuations reveals that the subnanometre pore is sensitive enough to read the occluded volume that is related to post-translational modifications of a single residue, measuring volume differences of ∼0.07 nm3, but it is not sensitive enough to discriminate between the volumes of all twenty amino acids.

The Effect of Electron Beam Irradiation in Environmental Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy of Whole Cells in Liquid.

Whole cells can be studied in their native liquid environment using electron microscopy, and unique information about the locations and stoichiometry of individual membrane proteins can be obtained from many cells thus taking cell heterogeneity into account. Of key importance for the further development of this microscopy technology is knowledge about the effect of electron beam radiation on the samples under investigation. We used environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) detection to examine the effect of radiation for whole fixed COS7 fibroblasts in liquid. The main observation was the localization of nanoparticle labels attached to epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs). It was found that the relative distances between the labels remained mostly unchanged (<1.5%) for electron doses ranging from the undamaged native state at 10 e-/Å2 toward 103 e-/Å2. This dose range was sufficient to determine the EGFR locations with nanometer resolution and to distinguish between monomers and dimers. Various different forms of radiation damage became visible at higher doses, including severe dislocation, and the dissolution of labels.

High Dynamic Range Pixel Array Detector for Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy.

We describe a hybrid pixel array detector (electron microscope pixel array detector, or EMPAD) adapted for use in electron microscope applications, especially as a universal detector for scanning transmission electron microscopy. The 128×128 pixel detector consists of a 500 µm thick silicon diode array bump-bonded pixel-by-pixel to an application-specific integrated circuit. The in-pixel circuitry provides a 1,000,000:1 dynamic range within a single frame, allowing the direct electron beam to be imaged while still maintaining single electron sensitivity. A 1.1 kHz framing rate enables rapid data collection and minimizes sample drift distortions while scanning. By capturing the entire unsaturated diffraction pattern in scanning mode, one can simultaneously capture bright field, dark field, and phase contrast information, as well as being able to analyze the full scattering distribution, allowing true center of mass imaging. The scattering is recorded on an absolute scale, so that information such as local sample thickness can be directly determined. This paper describes the detector architecture, data acquisition system, and preliminary results from experiments with 80-200 keV electron beams.

Distribution and Speciation of Cu in the Root Border Cells of Rice by STXM Combined with NEXAFS.

Root border cells (RBCs) serve plants in their initial line of defense against stress from the presence of heavy metals in the soil. In this research, light microscopy and synchrotron-based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) combined with near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) with a nanoscale spatial resolution were used to investigate the effects of copper (Cu) upon the RBCs, as well as its distribution and speciation within the RBCs of rice (Oryza sativa L.) under aeroponic culture. The results indicated that with increasing exposure time and concentration, the attached RBCs were surrounded by a thick mucilage layer which changed in form from an ellipse into a strip in response to Cu ion stress. Copper was present as Cu(II), which accumulated not only in the cell wall but also in the cytoplasm. To our knowledge, this is the first time that STXM has been used in combination with NEXAFS to provide new insight into the distribution and speciation of metal elements in isolated plant cells.

Scanning transmission electron microscopy through-focal tilt-series on biological specimens.

Since scanning transmission electron microscopy can produce high signal-to-noise ratio bright-field images of thick (≥500 nm) specimens, this tool is emerging as the method of choice to study thick biological samples via tomographic approaches. However, in a convergent-beam configuration, the depth of field is limited because only a thin portion of the specimen (from a few nanometres to tens of nanometres depending on the convergence angle) can be imaged in focus. A method known as through-focal imaging enables recovery of the full depth of information by combining images acquired at different levels of focus. In this work, we compare tomographic reconstruction with the through-focal tilt-series approach (a multifocal series of images per tilt angle) with reconstruction with the classic tilt-series acquisition scheme (one single-focus image per tilt angle). We visualised the base of the flagellum in the protist Trypanosoma brucei via an acquisition and image-processing method tailored to obtain quantitative and qualitative descriptors of reconstruction volumes. Reconstructions using through-focal imaging contained more contrast and more details for thick (≥500 nm) biological samples.

Imaging interfacial micro- and nano-bubbles by scanning transmission soft X-ray microscopy.

Synchrotron-based scanning transmission soft X-ray microscopy (STXM) with nanometer resolution was used to investigate the existence and behavior of interfacial gas nanobubbles confined between two silicon nitride windows. The observed nanobubbles of SF6 and Ne with diameters smaller than 2.5 µm were quite stable. However, larger bubbles became unstable and grew during the soft X-ray imaging, indicating that stable nanobubbles may have a length scale, which is consistent with a previous report using atomic force microscopy [Zhang et al. (2010), Soft Matter, 6, 4515-4519]. Here, it is shown that STXM is a promising technique for studying the aggregation of gases near the solid/water interfaces at the nanometer scale.

Imaging and elemental mapping of biological specimens with a dual-EDS dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope.

A dedicated analytical scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) with dual energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detectors has been designed for complementary high performance imaging as well as high sensitivity elemental analysis and mapping of biological structures. The performance of this new design, based on a Hitachi HD-2300A model, was evaluated using a variety of biological specimens. With three imaging detectors, both the surface and internal structure of cells can be examined simultaneously. The whole-cell elemental mapping, especially of heavier metal species that have low cross-section for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), can be faithfully obtained. Optimization of STEM imaging conditions is applied to thick sections as well as thin sections of biological cells under low-dose conditions at room and cryogenic temperatures. Such multimodal capabilities applied to soft/biological structures usher a new era for analytical studies in biological systems.

Environmental scanning electron microscopy in cell biology.

Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) (1) is an imaging technique which allows hydrated, insulating samples to be imaged under an electron beam. The resolution afforded by this technique is higher than conventional optical microscopy but lower than conventional scanning electron microscopy (CSEM). The major advantage of the technique is the minimal sample preparation needed, making ESEM quick to use and the images less susceptible to the artifacts that the extensive sample preparation usually required for CSEM may introduce. Careful manipulation of both the humidity in the microscope chamber and the beam energy are nevertheless essential to prevent dehydration and beam damage artifacts. In some circumstances it is possible to image live cells in the ESEM (2).In the following sections we introduce the fundamental principles of ESEM imaging before presenting imaging protocols for plant epidermis, mammalian cells, and bacteria. In the first two cases samples are imaged using the secondary electron (topographic) signal, whereas a transmission technique is employed to image bacteria.

Mass mapping of amyloid fibrils in the electron microscope using STEM imaging.

Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in the dark-field mode of operation is a technique regularly used to record high-contrast images from isolated macromolecular assemblies at nanometer resolution. Dark-field STEM images are unique in that they can be readily quantified to provide information on the mass of individual molecular complexes. Importantly, because STEM images contain simultaneous mass and overall molecular shape information, the concept of "mass mapping" can be realized to provide distinctive measurements of the mass per area of planar assemblies or the mass per length of filamentous structures. In this chapter we describe how the STEM technique can be applied to generate characteristic measurements of mass per length from isolated Alzheimer's amyloid fibrils.

Detector non-uniformity in scanning transmission electron microscopy.

A non-uniform response across scanning transmission electron microscope annular detectors has been found experimentally, but is seldom incorporated into simulations. Through case study simulations, we establish the nature and scale of the discrepancies which may arise from failing to account for detector non-uniformity. If standard detectors are used at long camera lengths such that the detector is within or near to the bright field region, we find errors in contrast of the order of 10%, sufficiently small for qualitative work but non-trivial as experiments become more quantitative. In cases where the detector has been characterized in advance, we discuss the detector response normalization and how it may be incorporated in simulations.

Rapid measurement of nanoparticle thickness profiles.

A method to measure the thickness of a single-crystal nanoparticle in the direction parallel to the incident beam from annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscope (ADF-STEM) images is reported, providing a map of thickness versus position across the nanoparticle--a 'thickness profile' image. The method is rapid and hence suitable for surveying large numbers of nanoparticles. The method measures the intensity scattered to a characterised ADF detector and compares this to the incident beam intensity, to obtain a normalized ADF image. The normalised intensity is then converted to thickness via dynamical ADF image simulations. The method is accurate within 10% and the precision is dominated primarily by 'shot noise'. Merits and limitations of this method are discussed. A method to calibrate the response function of the ADF detector without external equipment is also described, which is applicable to the entire range of gain and background settings.

Electron tomography of HEK293T cells using scanning electron microscope-based scanning transmission electron microscopy.

Based on a scanning electron microscope operated at 30 kV with a homemade specimen holder and a multiangle solid-state detector behind the sample, low-kV scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is presented with subsequent electron tomography for three-dimensional (3D) volume structure. Because of the low acceleration voltage, the stronger electron-atom scattering leads to a stronger contrast in the resulting image than standard TEM, especially for light elements. Furthermore, the low-kV STEM yields less radiation damage to the specimen, hence the structure can be preserved. In this work, two-dimensional STEM images of a 1-µm-thick cell section with projection angles between ±50° were collected, and the 3D volume structure was reconstructed using the simultaneous iterative reconstructive technique algorithm with the TomoJ plugin for ImageJ, which are both public domain software. Furthermore, the cross-sectional structure was obtained with the Volume Viewer plugin in ImageJ. Although the tilting angle is constrained and limits the resulting structural resolution, slicing the reconstructed volume generated the depth profile of the thick specimen with sufficient resolution to examine cellular uptake of Au nanoparticles, and the final position of these nanoparticles inside the cell was imaged.

Chicago exploration days.

Single heavy atoms supported on thin carbon film were first imaged by Crewe, Wall and Langmore with their dark-field STEM. This glimpse into a hitherto invisible world we owe undeniably to Crewe's vision and determination, and to his gift to electrify, engage and encourage talented students. Since this successful event happened during my sabbatical stay in Crewe's group, the editors of this memorial volume asked me to write an account of its early history, which I gladly composed mostly from memory. The circumstances that led to my collaboration with Albert Crew in Chicago are reviewed, and the main project that we jointly embarked on the Chicago 1MeV STEM is described. It is shown that the project was nearing completion and would have likely been successful, had funding been continued. The paper concludes with a tribute to Albert I wrote many years ago.

Seeing single atoms.

New discoveries and ideas often occur at the confluence of events and technologies that allow them to happen. So it was with the first electron microscopic observations of individual atoms at the University of Chicago laboratory of Albert Crewe forty years ago. This paper will describe the technologies developed then, present some of the historical instrumental details and describe the rationale for the designs that came about in that laboratory over a period of about a decade.